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EMUHSD Superintendent's Update – September 2025
Posted Date: 10/22/25 (2:00 PM)
Dear El Monte Union Community,
Fall is in full swing, and our students are hard at work – pursuing excellence in the classroom, exploring their passions, and building meaningful connections across our schools.
El Monte Union is proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring the many contributions of our Latino community both in society and within our District. Schools hosted vibrant events including a Día de los Muertos piñata-making activity at El Monte High, a lively quinceañera fashion show at South El Monte High, and a “charro” rope trick performance at Rosemead High.
Throughout September, we also emphasized the importance of showing up to class every day ready to learn, grow, and thrive through our “Attendance Counts” campaign. Spirit weeks, competitions, and raffles energized our campuses, helping students build strong habits for success.
The District also recognized Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with Mountain View High hosting a special 5K walk honoring cancer patient Johan Memo. The outpouring of support from students, staff, and families was truly inspiring.
From ribbon-cutting celebrations and our Districtwide College Night to wellness events and student achievements, September was a month filled with pride, unity, and momentum at El Monte Union. We can’t wait for what the rest of the semester has in store.
Stay up to date by following our District Facebook page and downloading our ParentSquare app.
Sincerely,
Dr. Edward Zuniga
Superintendent
Furry Friends Bring Joy and Calm During ‘Paws-to-Share’ Wellness Events
Fernando R. Ledesma High School students take a mental health break to play with emotional support dogs in the campus wellness center on Sept. 18 during a partnership event with Paws-to-Share.
Tail wags, cuddles, and laughter filled wellness centers across El Monte Union in September as students and staff connected with trained emotional support dogs during Paws-to-Share events. The visits offered campus communities a chance to pause, breathe, and discover how animal-assisted therapy can support mental health and well-being in a warm, comforting space.
Mountain View High School students and staff relax with therapy dogs during a Paws-to-Share wellness event on Sept. 23.
Aloha Spirit Fills El Monte-Rosemead Adult School During Meet & Greet Week
El Monte-Rosemead Adult School students enjoy activities and resources during a festive fair, held Sept. 8-12, as part of the school’s Aloha Meet & Greet Week.
El Monte-Rosemead Adult School welcomed students back Sept. 8-12 with its spirited Aloha Meet & Greet Week, featuring Hawaiian-themed decorations, daily trivia, self-guided tours, and a weeklong book fair.
The celebration included the Sept. 10 Resource Fair, where students and families connected with more than 20 community partners offering services such as flu shots, health screenings, free haircuts and manicures, employment resources, housing rights information, educational opportunities from Río Hondo College and Options for Learning, and support programs from organizations like Pacific Clinics, AltaMed Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
El Monte-Rosemead Adult School students take part in free health screenings during a resource fair on Sept. 10, part of the school’s Aloha Meet & Greet Week from Sept. 8-12.
El Monte Union Celebrates Modern Learning Spaces at Mountain View High School
Mountain View High School’s administration and Associated Student Body President Heidi Scanlan, joined by Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga, celebrate the completion of the school’s Modernization Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 9.
Mountain View High School students, staff, and the El Monte Union community celebrated the completion of the school’s Modernization Project with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 9. The event highlighted major campus upgrades including classrooms, athletic facilities, redesigned landscaping and outdoor seating, and infrastructure improvements.
The ceremony featured speeches from Principal Jose Bañas, Associated Student Body President Heidi Scanlan, El Monte Union High School District Board of Trustees President Florencio Briones, and Superintendent Dr. Edward Zuniga, followed by a taco dinner for the community.
Read full story here.
Districtwide College Night Opens Doors to the Future
El Monte Union students visit tables to receive valuable insight and resources from colleges, universities, armed forces and community organizations during College Night on Sept. 8.
Students and families gathered for El Monte Union’s Districtwide College Night at South El Monte High School on Sept. 8, connecting with representatives from University of California and California State University campuses, private colleges and universities, armed forces, community colleges, and community organizations while collecting resources to help guide their next steps.
El Monte Union Invites Community to Help Shape Facilities Future
El Monte Union is updating its Facilities Master Plan, a roadmap that will guide campus upgrades and modernization over the next five to 10 years. Since 2018, the District has invested more than $275 million in improvements, but additional needs remain. Updating the Plan helps ensure schools provide safe, modern learning environments and keeps the District eligible for state grant funding to maximize local investments. Community members are invited to help shape the next phase of improvements at a series of upcoming town halls:
- Mountain View High School – 3:30-5 p.m., Thursday, October 23, Room 300
- Arroyo High School – 3:30-5 p.m., Tuesday, October 28, Room 2
- El Monte High School – 3:30-5 p.m., Thursday, October 30, Lion Center
EMUHSD Community FMP Survey
For more information, visit bit.ly/FMOTpage to learn about EMUHSD facilities improvements.
Arroyo High School students serving on El Monte Union’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council review campus construction maps on Sept. 8, offering perspectives for the District’s Facilities Master Plan Update.
El Monte Union’s Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council meets with District Facilities administrators and a Perkins Eastman architect representative on Sept. 23 to discuss priorities for the upcoming Facilities Master Plan Update.
El Monte Union Schools Celebrate Homecoming with Parades, Games, and Dances
El Monte High School’s homecoming court makes a grand entrance on classic cars before the crowning of the king and queen during the homecoming game on Sept. 5.
El Monte Union campuses lit up September with spirited homecoming parades, football games, halftime festivities, royalty coronations, and student dances, bringing together families and alumni to celebrate school pride.
At El Monte High School, the Lions embraced an “Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass” theme, which set the stage for a lively Sept. 5 homecoming football game against San Gabriel High School. The night featured colorful class posters, grand entrances and balloon arches, highlighted by the crowning of seniors Tiffany Salazar and Alex Aleman as homecoming queen and king during halftime. The celebration continued the next evening, Sept. 6, with the homecoming dance.
El Monte High School seniors Tiffany Salazar and Alex Aleman celebrate being crowned homecoming queen and king during halftime of the football game on Sept. 5.
2025 Girls’ State Delegates Honored for Civic Leadership
El Monte Union’s 2025 California American Legion Auxiliary Girls’ State delegates smile with Superintendent Edward Zuniga, their Auxiliary representatives, and the District’s student Board members during a Sept. 3 Board meeting honoring their participation in the summer leadership program.
El Monte Union’s Board of Trustees honored five students during its Sept. 3 meeting for their selection as 2025 California American Legion Auxiliary Girls’ State Delegates, a premier summer leadership program that immerses high school juniors in civic education and government at the State Capitol in Sacramento.
Delegates Brigette Rodas of Arroyo High School, Tina Nguyen of El Monte High School, Brianna Sanchez of Mountain View High School, Van Do of Rosemead High School, and Daniella Valencia of South El Monte High School spent a week engaging in mock government activities, elections and policy discussions, then shared slideshows of their experiences with the Board. Each student received a certificate of recognition and a Disneyland backpack in honor of their achievement.
El Monte Union’s 2025 California American Legion Auxiliary Girls’ State delegates receive certificates of recognition from the Board of Trustees during a Sept. 3 meeting, celebrating their achievements in the summer leadership program.
El Monte Union Sites Receive Comfortable, Convenient Upgrade for New Parents
El Monte Union introduces Mamava Lactation Pods throughout the District to support new parents with convenient, sanitary, and accessible spaces for nursing and pumping.
Rosemead High School English teacher Stacy Lim returned as a first-time mom from maternity leave late in the 2024-25 school year, feeling tired, overwhelmed, and stressed about providing for her son while she was working. She was quickly comforted, however, by the knowledge that she had resources and privacy at school to help make her transition easier with the District’s newly installed Mamava Lactation Pods, a secure, sanitary, and safe space for breastfeeding parents.
“The pressure to pump every few hours or risk reduced milk production or physical pain as a result caused me so much anxiety,” said Lim, who has taught in El Monte Union for eight years. “Knowing that the pod was available helped to ensure that I could provide for my son, which was one less thing I had to worry about.”
Designed and built to make day-to-day activities easier, the models range in sizes and include wheelchair accessible options. Mamava Pods are all versatile and fit compact spaces, making them ideal for workspaces and public use.
Read full story here.